


Humanity

by Klomonx



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: F/M, Kasuka tells Kureo he's actually a good investigator when he has doubts, encouragment, reassuring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-09
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-04-23 09:33:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19148329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Klomonx/pseuds/Klomonx
Summary: Kasuka reassures Kureo despite his lower rank among the investigators. Simple fluff not super good sorry.





	Humanity

With the day coming to a close, the CCG officers slowly began to pack up their supplies and leave for the night, the cubicles and meeting rooms having their lights turned off one-by-one, eventually leaving on light on among the hundreds.  
Folders were shuffled and reshuffled, opened and reorganized over and over again in a mechanical fashion, eventually ending up exactly where they began as if nothing had changed.  
  
Kureo sighed, his tired eyes reading and rereading lines as he attempted to make sense of it all. But rereading ghoul's case files only got him so far, and they reached dead ends almost as soon as he started. It was a circle that continued to repeat itself, leading him through each ghoul case and stumbling back to the beginning none the wiser.  
He didn't hear the elevator swinging down to meet his floor, nor did he hear the rumble of the opened doors. Shoes tapped lightly along the highly polished floor and barely scraped against it. His eyes closed for what seemed like  _just_ a moment before feeling something press against his forehead. His eyes shot open in surprise, almost letting out a gasp.  
Looming above him was Kasuka, smiling down at him.  
"So the sleeping prince awakens."  
"What time is it?"  
Kureo leaned back up in his chair with Kasuka leaning over his shoulder, scanning the folders idly.  
"Nearly midnight. So you're stuck with the CatEyes case?"  
"Stuck with a lot of cases," Kureo stacked the case files up so that they sat neatly on the desk, "three ghouls slain this month with my Junior and we still have seven or so more to go. And tomorrow it'll be more."  
"You say that like it's a bad thing. Your quinque collection grows with every other ghoul, there's more under your name than anyone else."  
"You misunderstand," Kureo corrected, holding up a finger, "having this many is wonderful, and CatsEye will produce a fine quinque once we corner it."  
"Then why are you so tired? You look like you haven't slept in days," she paused, "which isn't true, you fell asleep in the recliner the last three days this week."  
Kureo smiled, "what do you think this all amounts to? A safer world?"  
"The ghouls will prey on humans as long as one of us remains alive," Kasuka noted, raising an eyebrow slightly, "we are a defense - but this isn't like you, what are you getting at? Growing tired of chasing and cornering ghouls?" She smirked, fully knowing that he never tired of that.  
"This is my third Junior this year, the other two have been promoted and will probably surpass me in a year."  
"Are you jealous?"  
"I miss working alongside you, it feels like they're ostracizing me. I see how the Juniors whisper, even the polite ones."  
"You're "The Quinque Maniac,'" Kasuka quoted.  
"I used to wear the title with pride, but it feels like we're barely ten years out and I'm slowing down and being surpassed."  
"The ones that chase ranks die quickly in my experience. There's even fewer women the higher up the totem pole you go. Must get married and settle down."  
"That isn't for us, it never has been. But it feels like they're ganging up on us...or me, at least. Relegate me to back during raids, never send for me in big operations. I take out ghoul after ghoul and I get a small pin to show for it."  
Kureo rose from his chair, put on his coat as he turned off the light at his desk.  
"You wish you were a higher rank?" Kasuka said, approaching the elevator and pressing the call button, "you're lonely here?"  
"I feel used."  
  
The elevator's door opened and they stepped in, standing shoulder to shoulder. Neither said anything as it rolled down, ticking past each floor smoothly, opening to silence and the dimmed lights which made up the lobby.  
"Thirty-six," Kasuka said suddenly, just as Kureo stepped out past the door.  
He raised one eyebrow, a tic he had started to develop oh so naturally.  
"That's how many Juniors Chuu has gone through since we started. How many have passed through you?"  
"Not even half," he sighed, but Kasuka shook her head as she followed, overtook him, and opened the CCG's entrance door, letting him through first.  
"How many have you _lost_ before they ranked up?"  
"Not many, three."  
"And how many of those who successfully passed after training alongside you are still around?"  
"Almost all of them."  
Kasuka smiled, casually slipping her arm to interlock with his. He smiled faintly as their pace synced and they continued their stroll.  
"Thirty-six have died alongside Chuu. One or two have ranked up."  
Kureo didn't reply as they passed under a neon light.  
"Chuu is a fantastic investigator, but he is harsh. He doesn't let his heart open as he's seen too many taken away, he pushes Juniors to their limits and stands by as they're cut down. He is a fine Investigator, but he's an awful teacher. Not all of us will achieve a high rank, but we need not to. There's more important lessons to learn, and its any consolation, you're one of the best at teaching them. The Juniors need a good, stable foundation, and you provide it."  
  
They walked in silence until they came upon a crosswalk. Even with no cars in sight they waited for the signal to chance. As they did, Kasuka gently kissed Kureo on the cheek just as they were bathed in the blue-green midtone of the crosswalk.  
"They all look up to you, you know. If any laugh or jeer they're just jealous. You're like the Father of the CCG."  
Kureo's smile became less faint as they crossed the street, headed toward their apartment.  
"Too often," he spoke up, "we Investigators close our hearts to others. It's all we have against the ghouls - our humanity lies within one another."

 


End file.
